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SIT DOWN AND BELT UP

I was fed up with having to disentangle my springy seat belt stalks from the undersides of my swivelling seats, so I went to my local Homebase and bought four 22mm plastic clips for £1.49. These were cut to form a hook and then fixed to the seat bases at just the right height to allow the seat stalks to be clipped out of the way of the swivelling seats. Similar types of clips can also be bought from marine chandlers.
Joe Black
Preston, Lancs

STICKY SOLUTION TO A TRICKY MANOEUVRE

One tip that might help drivers to position their vehicle more accurately is to stick a piece of masking tape or a label onto the windscreen in their eye-line to the kerb. The marker strip should just line up with the kerb, with the driver sitting relaxed in his/her natural position. This is useful if you’re driving on the continent for the first time, and are unsure of your bearings with regard to the right-hand kerb. Before you go, find yourself a completely clear stretch of road and then try parking on the wrong side, with the vehicle about the right distance from the kerb for driving along, then place your marker. That way, when you disembark from the ferry, you’ll be prepared.
John Parsons
Edinburgh, Midlothian

WE'VE GOT IT ALL MAPPED OUT

As retired motorcaravanners with two elderly dogs, we spend a lot of time on the road, and enjoy visiting new sites. Until recently, we were always a bit nervous about finding the site easily, and encountering hazards along the way. This year, by using the Multimap and AA internet sites, our anxieties have passed, and we are planning what we think will be a trouble-free tour of the West Country.
By entering the postcode of the campsite on www.multimap.com, you can view a detailed map of the area. This shows the approach to the site, any footpaths, and other features of the location. You can confirm this by then selecting an aerial photo of the location – also on Multimap. This is especially useful for certificated locations, although aerial photos are not always up to date.
Once you have chosen a suitable site for your holiday, you can use the AA route-planner service at www.theaa.com to establish the best motorcaravan route from home to site. The route given identifies possible hazards and gives clear instructions, making for a trouble-free journey.
We hope this helps other readers to plan their holidays with ease.
Agnes Ridge
Tunbridge Wells, Kent

NO LONGER BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

I do a lot of overseas touring over the winter, and I’m constantly being dazzled by the winter sun. I get fed up with turning the sun visor through 90Þ every time I go round a corner, so I went to a local scrapyard and bought two small sun visors from an old Mini, for £4.
I fitted them above the side windows of my motorhome and no longer have to fiddle about when driving – handy on some of those twisting Continental roads. Just take care to mount the visors so that you can see out of your side windows without stooping. I also passed this tip on to my friend, who owns a Ducato-based Auto-Sleeper: he has even more of a problem since its front sun visors can’t be swivelled at all.
Graham Johnstone
Leicester, Leicestershire

DOORS WILL SQUEAK NO MORE

My Swift Royale suffers from stiff hinges, which didn’t improve even after an application of WD40. I found that the only lasting cure was to strip the hinge, clean it thoroughly, and then rebuild it using the appropriate grease for the materials involved. I used marine water resistant grease, because it repels water from condensation (ordinary oil and grease are not very effective as a water barrier). This works really well, and helps to keep the wearing surfaces clean and lubricated for as long as possible.
Gerald Jones
Bourne, Lincs

SPOTTING THE LOOSE WHEEL NUTS

I’ve seen a lot of commercial vehicles with those yellow tags on their wheel nuts – I have no idea where you get them from, but I’ve used a tube of yellow engineer’s marker paste on mine. It’ll crack if there’s any sign of the wheel nuts coming loose, and I’ll have the chance to do something about it before anything serious happens.
Ian Milne
Driffield, Gloucestershire

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ROLL UP, ROLL UP…

I used to suffer from annoying back pain caused by sleeping on our motorhome’s beds. Its cushions fold down to make up a double, but the gaps between the cushions make it very uncomfortable to sleep on. I solved the problem by buying matress overlay from Raskelf in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire (tel 01924 457457). The overlay can be rolled up to fill the gaps and provide an even surface. I would recommend this to others, since I no longer suffer from back pain.
Julia Bell
Northampton, Northants

TWO BOTTLES ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Later this year, I plan to spend several months on the Continent in my new Auto-Sleeper Trident. Having discovered that Calor butane and propane are not available in mainland Europe, I made some investigations, the results of which might be of use to other readers. The only fuel common to both the UK and Europe is Camping Gaz, which is readily available, and Elf gas is a good buy in France. The Spanish have their own regulations relating to bottled gas purchase, which involve supplying a residential address. If you have the space to store two 907 Camping Gaz canisters, then do take two: you can have one in use, plus a full back-up.
Jon Drewitt
Kettering, Northants

PROTECT BEDDING AGAINST THE DAMP

We place closed-cell foam mats between our mattress and sleeping bags to stop condensation from affecting the upholstery. After all, it’s easier to air the sleeping bag than it is to air the mattress.
Malcolm Lamont
Stoneywood, Aberdeen

CREASE-FREE CAMPING CLOTHES

Hang up your clothes in your motorhome’s wardrobe before you leave for your holiday – that way they won’t get creased in transit, and you won’t have to spend time unpacking them on arrival.
Steven Douglass
Blyth, Northumberland

TAKE CARE WHEN CROSSING THE ROAD

On the Continent, campers often run their mains hook-up cables across camp site roads. I thread my mains hook-up cable through two metres of 1-inch diameter reinforced fresh-water hose. I can then slide the cable inside, to protect it where it crosses the road.
David Miller
Hale, Cheshire

GOING TO BED IN COMFORT

Climbing up and down ladders to access beds can be uncomfortable. Some people put carpet on the rungs, but we found it more comfortable to put pipe cladding on them, secured with plastic ties.
Brooke Nelson
Armley, Leeds

WHY NOT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY?

I wanted to hire a motorhome before I bought one, to give it a dry run. My dealer, Brownhills, offered to refund the hire fee if I went on to buy from them. I couldn’t hire the Rapido M783 (which I did eventually buy), but I did find a close match, and it certainly helped me to make my final decision.
John Smith
Cleveland

GIVE YOUR ENGINE ROOM TO BREATH

My Highwayman is built on a two-litre petrol Talbot Peugeot base (1989). When the fuel tank drops to half full, the engine starts to miss, especially when pushing hard up an incline. Fill up with fuel and the problem disappears. I discovered that the breather hole in the petrol cap was blocked, so air could not get in to replace the petrol used. Take the cap off, and if the tank sucks in air, you may have the same problem, in which case, try loosening the cap.
Marion Davey
Warrington, Lancs